This article is intended to give you a brief overview of what you need to know to take care of some roof repairs this summer. It is very important that you are knowledgeable and extra careful when working on your roof as it can be very dangerous and expensive if not fixed properly.

Make sure that you or your licensed roofer have a solid safety plan in place before starting to work. Check out this OSHA article for more information regarding creating a roofing safety plan. These plans are mandatory and will save you a lot of time and money if properly used.

The best place to find a reliable roofer is to ask someone you know for a personal reference. If they worked on a friend or family members house and did a great job they are much more likely to do the same for you compared to a stranger. Make sure the person you know was both happy with the way in which they worked and the quality of materials that they used. Cleanup is also an important aspect to ask about as well as how long the warranty, if any, they offered is good for.

When hiring a roofer ask questions about their equipment as this is going to make a big difference in how quickly they can complete the job and how the roof is going to be installed or repaired. If they need to use hammers and nails it is going to take much longer then a compressed air nail gun. You also need to know what the complete price is going to be and how they arrived at that amount. Are they charging by the hour? By the square? Is it a complete estimate or approximate?

Before anyone takes one step on your roof make sure that you have agreed on a written contract and that they have furnished you with all the appropriate insurance / licensing certificates. God forbid you need to take them to court you should have everything written out exactly as it was originally conveyed. Even worse, if they are not properly insured and end up hurting themselves while on your property you can stand to lose everything that you own. Make sure you have an install date and time to complete the job so you don’t get stuck with a half completed roof for weeks on end.

It is very important to get multiple estimates but not necessary to beat a dead horse here. The price is going to get so low and in all honesty it is not always smart to go with the lowest bid. Compare quality, reputation, and ability to schedule when reviewing competing bids.

Make sure both parties are clear and agree upon payment terms. If you are intending to finance this should be discussed up front. If paying cash make sure how much money the contractor wants up front and upon completion when they expect to get paid. Do not assume credit card payments are taken by everyone because this is something certain companies may not be able to process.